Brother of gangland killers in wheelchair following axe attack

Judge Aylmer said that, by pleading guilty, Donovan was accepting that he used a level of force that was unreasonable, despite being confronted with a knife.

An older brother of two of Ireland's most notorious gangland killers has been left in a wheelchair due to head injuries he received in a savage axe attack.

Details about the condition of Paul Doyle (40) emerged in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court when a 30-year-old career criminal was given a four-and-a-half- year jail sentence for the attack.

The victim's brother Barry (30), who was a hitman for the McCarthy-Dundon gang, is serving life in prison for killing Shane Geoghegan in 2008.

Gunfire

Barry's other brother Paddy, a notorious Dublin gangland figure, died in a hail of bullets in Spain in February 2008, when the car he was in was sprayed with gunfire in a gangland hit. Paddy Doyle (27) was shot dead as he tried to escape on the outskirts of Estepona in February 2008.

Doyle, who was on the run after becoming the chief suspect for three gangland murders here in 2005, was being "put up" by the Christy Kinahan cartel in southern Spain and may have been murdered on the orders of the cartel.

Last June, Barry Doyle lost an appeal against his conviction for the murder of rugby player Shane Geoghegan.

Regarding the case involving the siblings' brother, Paul, the court heard that Jonathan Donovan (30) hit Paul Doyle in the head twice with an axe during a row which broke out when the two men were using a cocktail of drink and drugs, including heroin.

Detective Garda Fergal O'Flaherty told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that Mr Doyle had armed himself with a knife during the row and Donovan then pulled out the axe and swung it at the victim.

Mr Doyle has never recovered from the assault and remains in a wheelchair, under the care of the Mater hospital.

Donovan, of O'Devaney Gardens, Dublin pleaded guilty last February to reckless assault of Paul Doyle causing him serious harm at Kelly's Row, Dorset Street, on April 6, 2014.

Backdated

Judge John Alymer suspended the last 18 months of a six-year sentence on condition Donovan remained drug-free and engaged with the Probation Services and its drug counselling programmes. He backdated the sentence to April 2014, when Donovan went into custody.

Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, told Judge Aylmer that the plea was entered by lawyers for Donovan shortly before his trial was due to start on the basis he was reckless about the effects of his actions.

Judge Aylmer said that, by pleading guilty, Donovan was accepting that he used a level of force that was unreasonable, despite being confronted with a knife.

Donovan has 80 previous convictions, including three for assault causing harm and convictions for firearms, robbery and burglary offences.